Jaring medical college remains a non-starter

Newindpress, 12th June, 2008

BHAWANIPATNA: Uncertainty looms large over long-awaited Sardar Raja Medical College at Jaring near Bhawanipatna of Kalahandi district.On January 3, 2004, the MoU was signed between Selvam Educational and Charitable Trust, Tamil Nadu, and Western Orissa Development Council (WODC) and after long public agitation the construction work for the project started. For the Rs 100- crore project, it was agreed that WODC would chip in with Rs 10 crore in eight instalments on the basis of progress of work and State Government would provide 25 acres of land on lease. So far Rs 16 crore has been invested by the trust. WODC has so far released Rs 7.5 crores to the trust.However, the project has run into teething problems. The medical has to be a 300-bed one well equipped with medical staff and departments so as to get the nod of Medical Council of India (MCI). But the facility functioning at present is having a 100-bed hospital and lacks of medical staff in most of the departments and other facilities.It was earlier declared by the trust to start the admission for the college in 2008 academic year. However, members of MCI during a visit last month expressed unhappiness over the number of doctors and other facilities in the hospital. This will no doubt delay the affiliation and it seems wellnigh impossible to open the college during current academic session.To add to the problem the trust recently dropped 45 persons from its payroll creating doubt and discontentment among public. At a press meet, the chief executive officer of the medical college and hospital Tarunkanti Mishra clarified that to streamline the system some staff, mostly non-technical, had to be dropped. He said steps have been taken to increase the bed strength and recruit doctors in different faculties as per guideline of MCI. He exuded confidence that by the next academic session the college will be able to run. Chairman of Sardar Raja Medical College Dr S.A. Raja reiterated in a press handout that the hospital will be a full-fledged one and it will start soon.